Integrated package insertion and loading mechanism (iPILM)

ABSTRACT

A holding member and system including a first and a second holding member, wherein each of the first holding member and the second holding member are coupled to opposite sides of a load plate of a socket. A holding member includes a body including a pair of arms extending from a first side of the body and spaced to accommodate a portion of an integrated circuit chip package therebetween and at least one clip extending from a second side opposite the first side. Also, a method including coupling an integrated circuit chip package to a first holding member and a second holding member, wherein the first holding member is coupled to a first side of a load plate of a socket and the second holding member is coupled to a second side of the load plate; and inserting the package into a socket of a printed circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/995,927,filed Jun. 19, 2013 (issued as U.S. Pat. No.9,231,318), which is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 U.S.C.§371 of International Application No. PCT/US2012/031669,filed Mar. 30,2012,entitled INTEGRATED PACKAGE INSERTION AND LOADING MECHANISM(iPILM).

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Land grid array sockets.

2. Description of Related Art

A land grid array (LGA) is a type of surface-mount packaging forintegrated circuits. An LGA socket can be electrically connected to aprinted circuit board and finds use as a physical interface for amicroprocessor. Representatively, an LGA socket includes protruding pinsor lands which touch contact points on a device side of amicroprocessor. The microprocessor is pressed into place by anindependent loading mechanism that includes a load plate and a frame. Aninstalling technician lifts the hinged load plate, inserts themicroprocessor, closes the load plate over the top of the processor intothe frame and pushes down a locking load lever. The pressure of thelocking lever on the load plate clamps the contact points of themicroprocessor firmly down onto socket of the printed circuit board(e.g., a motherboard) pins or lands. A typical load plate only coversthe edges of a top surface of the microprocessor which leaves the centerof the microprocessor free to make contact with or be adjacent to acooling device placed on top of the microprocessor.

As noted above, insertion of a processor in the socket is typically doneby hand which can result in bent contacts which renders the socketuseless before being repaired and/or replaced. Bent contacts in LGAsockets is a defect introduced during board and system assembly that hascaused millions of dollars for the computer industry since theintroduction of the sockets. Mitigation methods, including customizedindependent loading mechanisms, have been tried with varied success.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded top perspective view of an integrated circuitpackage including an integrated heat spreader and an embodiment of apair of grippers and a load plate of a socket.

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of the grippers of FIG. 1 connectedto the load plate.

FIG. 3 shows a top perspective front view and an embodiment of anindependent loading mechanism including the grippers of FIG. 1 connectedto the load plate.

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective front view of the structure of FIG. 3with a package connected to the load plate through the grippers.

FIG. 5 shows a top perspective back view of the structure of FIG. 3 witha package connected to the load plate through the grippers.

FIG. 6 shows a top perspective back view of the structure of FIG. 5 andillustrates the closing of the load plate.

FIG. 7 shows the structure of FIG. 6 following the closing of the loadplate.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a computing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A typical land grid array (LGA) socket includes a contact array disposedwithin a socket body that includes package orientation keys, and anindependent loading mechanism to distribute a load to the LGA and ensureelectrical connection between package pads and socket contacts, and aload lever to lock the load plate in place.

As noted, the LGA socket contains a package on a printed circuit board.A typical package includes an integrated circuit chip, such as aprocessor having a number of contacts in the form of pads or solderballs on pads on one side and an integrated heat spreader (IHS) coupledto a second opposite side. One particular IHS is referred to as a wingedIHS because it includes a pair of laterally disposed wings extendingrespectively from opposite sides.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a package including a winged IHS.Referring to FIG. 1, winged package 100 includes integrated circuitdevice 110, such as a microprocessor. Connected to a backside(non-device side) of device 110 by, for example, an adhesive, is IHS 120of, for example, a metal material such as copper or a copper-tin alloy.IHS 120 is a generally rectangular, planar structure having a thicknesson the order of two millimeters (mm). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,the generally rectangular structure includes opposing laterallyextending wings 125A and 125B. In one embodiment, each wing has a width,W, on the order of 12.75 mm and a protruding length, L, of 4.45 mm and agenerally an equivalent thickness as a remainder of the IHS body so thatcollectively, the wings and a remainder of the IHS body may, in oneembodiment, define a generally planar surface alignment. In anotherembodiment, the wings may not be in a generally planar surface with aremainder of the IHS body.

In one embodiment, an LGA socket configuration or system is described totake advantage of the winged geometry of the IHS. The configuration orsystem adds a gripper and, in another embodiment, a pair of grippers toa load plate of an LGA socket to grip or hold or contain a package andaid in the incorporation of the package into a socket.

FIG. 1 shows an isometric exploded view of a pair of grippers or holdingmembers connected to opposite sides of a load plate. FIG. 1 illustratesgripper or holding member 150 connected to a first side of load plate200 and gripper or holding member 250 to a second opposite side of loadplate 200. In this embodiment, gripper or holding member 150 and gripperor holding member 250 are of similar configuration so detailed referencein FIG. 1 to that configuration will hereinafter be with respect togripper or holding member 150.

Referring to FIG. 1, gripper or holding member 150 includes a bodyincluding a pair of arms 155A, 155B extending from a first side of body152 and spaced to accommodate no more than a portion of an integratedcircuit chip package therebetween. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,arm 155A and arm 155B are spaced from one another at least a distanceequivalent to the width, W, of wing 125A of IHS 120 to accommodate wing125A therebetween. In one embodiment, each arm extends a length frombody 152 that is less than or equivalent to or more than the protrudinglength, L, of wing 125A of IHS 120. In one embodiment, a representativelength is on the order of 6.5 mm. A representative width dimension forarm 155A and arm 155B is on the order of 2 mm. A base of each arm 155A,155B includes shelf 157A and shelf 157B extending, in this embodiment,at a 90° angle from a base of each arm (as viewed) toward the other arm(e.g., extending 1-2 mm beyond the 2 mm width of the arm toward theother arm). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, shelf 157A and shelf 157Bare positioned at a distal end of respective arms 155A and 155B. Inanother embodiment, each shelf may extend along a larger portion of arespective arm, such as entire length of the arm.

As noted above, gripper or holding member is configured to be connectedto a side of a load plate. Thus, in one embodiment, gripper or holdingmember 150 includes at least one clip to accomplish the connection.Referring to FIG. 1, gripper 150 includes, in this embodiment, clip 158Aand clip 158B extending from a second side of body 152 opposite the sidefrom which arm 155A and arm 155B extend. Clip 158A and clip 158B areconfigured to connect to a side of a load plate. In the configurationshown in FIG. 1, clip 158A and clip 158B include a pair of armsextending in the second direction. FIG. 1 shows arm 1580AA and 1580ABextending from a second side of clip 158A extending from a second sideof body 152 and arms 1580BA and 1580BB extending from a body of clip158B on a second side of body 152. A representative length of each armis on the order of 2.5 mm. A representative width dimension for each armis on the order of 2 mm. A distal end of each arm includes a projection(a hook) on the order of 1 mm in the direction of its paired arm. Theprojections may be used to go over a side of a load plate to aid ingripping of the load plate.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a distance between arm 1580AA of clip158A and arm 1580BA of clip 158B is greater than a distance between arm1580AB and arm 1580BB. Representatively, arm 1580AA and arm 1580BAextend from opposite ends of body 152 and are separated by a distance of20 mm while arm 1580AB and arm 1580BB are separated by a distanceequivalent to a distance between arm 155A and arm 155B (e.g., 13 mm). Inanother embodiment, arm 1580AA and arm 1580BA may be separated by asimilar amount to the distance that separates arm 1580AB and arm 1580BB,e.g., by a distance equivalent to a distance between arm 155A and arm155B (e.g., 13 mm).

FIG. 1 shows arm 1580AA and arm 1580BB in a similar superior plane (asviewed) as arm 155A and arm 155B. FIG. 1 also shows arm 1580AA of afirst clip separated from arm 1580AB and arm 1580BA of a second clipseparated from arm 1580BB by height, H that, in one embodiment, isequivalent to a height of a side of a load plate. A representativeheight, H, is on the order of 5.75 mm. In the embodiment, each of arm1580AB and arm 1580BB extend from respective legs that extend from body152 at an angle perpendicular to the body and arms 155A and arm 155B.

FIG. 1 also shows gripper or holding member 150, in one embodiment,includes stop 160 extending from the first side of body 152 in asuperior plane (as viewed) similar to the plane as arms 155A and 155Band between the arms. In one embodiment, stop 160 has a sufficientthickness to inhibit a lateral movement of a portion of the package thatmay be disposed between arm 155A and arm 155B (e.g., wing portion 125Aof IHS 120). A distal end of stop 160 may have a recessed angle (e.g.,recessed 45°). In another embodiment, stop 160 has a thickness that isless than a thickness of each of the pair of arms such that a differencein the thickness of the stop and thickness of each of the pair of armsis greater than a thickness of a portion of an integrated circuitpackage that the gripper will be holding. As noted above, arm 155Aincludes shelf 157A and arm 155B includes shelf 157B. In one embodiment,shelf 157A and shelf 157B project from their respective arms toward oneanother below a thickness of stop 160 so that a height differencebetween the shelf and an underside of stop 160 is at least equivalent toa thickness of the portion of package 100 that will be disposed betweenarm 155A and arm 155B. In the embodiment where wing portion 125A of IHS120 may be disposed between arm 155A and arm 155B of gripper 150, adistance between an underside of stop 160 and shelf 157A and shelf 157Bis at least equal to a thickness of wing portion 125A of IHS 120 so thatthe wing portion 125A may be disposed on shelf 157A and shelf 157Bbetween arms 155A and 155B and beneath stop 160 as viewed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, gripper or holding member 150 furtherincludes wall 162 extending vertically downward from body 152 betweenclip 158A and clip 158B. When gripper or holding member 150 is attachedto a side wall of a load plate (e.g., a side wall of load plate 200),wall 162 is flush with the side wall of the load plate and inhibits thegripper from rotating during the package installation.

In one embodiment, a gripper or holding member such as gripper 150 maybe made of a plastic material such as polycarbonate. One way gripper 150may be made is through a molding process to define the gripper as aunitary structure.

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of a load plate including a pair ofgrippers. FIG. 2 shows load plate 200 including first side 210A andopposing second side 210B. Connected to each side is a gripper orholding member. FIG. 2 shows gripper 150 connected to side 210A throughclip 158A and clip 158B. As connected, arm 155A and arm 155B of gripper150 extend toward side 210B of load plate 200. FIG. 2 also shows secondgripper or holding member 250 connected in a similar manner to side 210Bof load plate 200 having arms extending toward side 210A.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a fully assembled independent loadingmechanism (ILM) of a LGA package. In this embodiment, the ILM includesload plate 200 having gripper 150 and gripper 250 connected to theopposite sides of the load plate. The ILM also includes frame 310 andcaptive fasteners 320. FIG. 3 shows further load lever 330.

FIGS. 4-7 show the insertion of a package into an ILM and the closing ofthe ILM. FIGS. 4 and 5 show front and back asymmetric views of a LGAsocket assembly having a package snapped/receded into grippers orholding members on opposite side of a load plate of the socket. Asdescribed above with respect to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the packageis inserted on the shelves of respective arms and is held by the arms ofthe load plate through the arms of gripper 150 and gripper 250. In FIG.4, a device side of the package is shown. In this embodiment, substratecircuit board 260 is disposed on device 110. FIG. 5 shows IHS 120 havingwings 125A and 125B where wing 125A and wing 125B are respectivelyconnected to gripper 150 and gripper 250. In one embodiment, respectiveshelves of each of gripper 150 and gripper 250 are positioned toestablish a desired z-direction reference for each gripper, thereby az-stop or reference for the package, position for the package duringintegration and insertion.

Once package 100 is seated in load plate 200 of the ILM by gripper 150and gripper 250, the load plate may be closed to complete the packageinsertion in the socket. FIG. 6 shows the closing of the load plate witha package seated within. A gross alignment of the package with respectto the socket is done through the position of gripper 150 and gripper250 on the ILM load plate. A median alignment may be accomplishedthrough socket wall chamfers and fine alignment by tightly toleranceexisting socket wall feature. FIG. 7 shows a fully inserted package andclosed ILM.

FIG. 8 illustrates a computing device 400 in accordance with oneimplementation. Computing device 400 houses board 402. Board 402 mayinclude a number of components, including but not limited to processor404 and at least one communication chip 406. Processor 404 is physicallyand electrically coupled to board 402 through a land grid array socketincorporating a gripper or grippers in an ILM. In some implementationsthe at least one communication chip 406 is also physically andelectrically coupled to board 402. In further implementations,communication chip 406 is part of processor 404.

Depending on its applications, computing device 400 may include othercomponents that may or may not be physically and electrically coupled toboard 402. These other components include, but are not limited to,volatile memory (e.g., DRAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), flashmemory, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor, a cryptoprocessor, a chipset, an antenna, a display, a touchscreen display, atouchscreen controller, a battery, an audio codec, a video codec, apower amplifier, a global positioning system (GPS) device, a compass, anaccelerometer, a gyroscope, a speaker, a camera, and a mass storagedevice (such as hard disk drive, compact disk (CD), digital versatiledisk (DVD), and so forth).

Communication chip 406 enables wireless communications for the transferof data to and from computing device 400. The term “wireless” and itsderivatives may be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods,techniques, communications channels, etc., that may communicate datathrough the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation through anon-solid medium. The term does not imply that the associated devices donot contain any wires, although in some embodiments they might not.Communication chip 406 may implement any of a number of wirelessstandards or protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11family), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 family), IEEE 802.20,long term evolution(LTE), Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT,Bluetooth, derivatives thereof, as well as any other wireless protocolsthat are designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and beyond. Computing device 400 mayinclude a plurality of communication chips 406. For instance, a firstcommunication chip 406 may be dedicated to shorter range wirelesscommunications such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a second communicationchip 406 may be dedicated to longer range wireless communications suchas GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, Ev-DO, and others.

Processor 404 of computing device 400 includes an integrated circuit diepackaged within processor 404. The term “processor” may refer to anydevice or portion of a device that processes electronic data fromregisters and/or memory to transform that electronic data into otherelectronic data that may be stored in registers and/or memory.

Communication chip 406 also includes an integrated circuit die packagedwithin communication chip 406.

In various implementations, computing device 400 may be a laptop, anetbook, a notebook, an ultrabook, a smartphone, a tablet, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), an ultra mobile PC, a mobile phone, a desktopcomputer, a server, a printer, a scanner, a monitor, a set-top box, anentertainment control unit, a digital camera, a portable music player,or a digital video recorder. In further implementations, computingdevice 400 may be any other electronic device that processes data.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details have been set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent however, to oneskilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practicedwithout some of these specific details. The particular embodimentsdescribed are not provided to limit the invention but to illustrate it.The scope of the invention is not to be determined by the specificexamples provided above but only by the claims below. In otherinstances, well-known structures, devices, and operations have beenshown in block diagram form or without detail in order to avoidobscuring the understanding of the description. Where consideredappropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of referencenumerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate correspondingor analogous elements, which may optionally have similarcharacteristics.

It should also be appreciated that reference throughout thisspecification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “one or moreembodiments”, or “different embodiments”, for example, means that aparticular feature may be included in the practice of the invention.Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description variousfeatures are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure,or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosureand aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects. Thismethod of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the invention requires more features than are expresslyrecited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,inventive aspects may lie in less than all features of a singledisclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the DetailedDescription are hereby expressly incorporated into this DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a load plate; and afirst holding member and a second holding member, wherein each of thefirst holding member and the second holding member are coupled toopposite sides of the load plate of a socket, each of the first holdingmember and the second holding member comprising a body comprising a pairof arms spaced from one another and extending from a side of the body inone direction, each arm of the respective pair of arms comprising ashelf projecting in a direction toward the other arm of the pair toaccommodate a portion of an integrated circuit chip packagetherebetween, wherein, when the respective pair of arms are positioned,an integrated circuit chip package can be disposed within the load plateand supported between the arms of the first holding member and the armsof the second holding member.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the armsof each of the first holding member and the second holding member extendfrom a first side of the body, each of the first holding member and thesecond holding member comprise a clip extending from a second sideopposite the first side.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the pair ofarms of the first holding member and the second holding member comprisea first pair of arms and the first clip and the second clip eachcomprise a second pair of arms extending from the second side of thebody and separated by a distance equivalent to a height of a side of theload plate.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pair of arms of eachof the first holding member and the second holding member are in thesame plane.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the body of each of thefirst holding member and the second holding member further comprises astop extending from the body in the same plane as the pair of arms andbetween the pair of arms, the stop having a thickness that is less thana thickness of each of the pair of arms such that a difference in thethickness of the stop and the thickness of each of the pair of arms isgreater than a thickness of a portion of an integrated circuit chippackage.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pair of arms of each ofthe first holding member and the second holding member comprises a firstpair of arms and the body comprises at least one leg extending from thebody at an angle perpendicular to a plane defined by the first pair ofarms and each of the first holding member and the second holding membercomprises a clip comprising a second pair of arms, a first of the secondpair of arms extending from the body in the plane defined by the firstpair of arms and a second of the second pair of arms extending from theat least one leg, wherein the first of the second pair of arms and thesecond of the second pair of arms are separated by a distance equivalentto a height of a side of the load plate.
 7. The system of claim 1,further comprising an integrated circuit chip package.
 8. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the pair of arms of each of the first holding memberand the second holding member are spaced to accommodate no more than awidth of a wing portion of an integrated circuit chip package.